


Slipping

by Nikki (amiayaprotagonistyet)



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY, M/M, and also for the gayness between josh and tyler that is very real, i love their love, thank god for brad and his amazing photography, this photo wrote itself, to be fair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:39:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amiayaprotagonistyet/pseuds/Nikki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>- just a lil one shot based off of the photo Josh posted on twitter from the Raleigh show because of the delay -</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slipping

“Are we actually about to do this?” He laughed, kneeling down with a few crumpled paper towels in hand.

“Of course we are! Come on, it’ll be funny, and there’s not much else to do in the meantime,” Josh responded.

They crouched down, both focused on the few feet of ground they were “helping” to dry off for the night’s show. Tyler grabbed more towels from the roll, abandoning his on the floor in front of them, while Josh attempted to cover more ground.

As soon as they heard the shutter of the camera click, they turned to each other. Immediately Josh’s laughter echoed in the arena, “Tyler, you put the entire roll on the floor- now all the paper towels are wet, we’re going to need more.”

Rather than responding or making eye contact, Tyler picked up the soggy mess of paper towels on the ground and pelted them at Josh as he stood up. Almost like spitballs, he thought.

“Oh, so that’s how you’re going to play? Fine!” and somehow within the twenty minute delay, the two managed to get into a wet paper towel ball fight, chasing each other around the venue.

Tyler’s aim was perfect, he only missed twice, meanwhile, Josh’s attempts only made more of a mess.

Out of breath from the laughter and running, they collapsed near the crime scene in attempts to pick up the mushed, soggy paper. Accidentally knocking heads and laughing when they went for the same towel, they were interrupted by a boom of thunder and lightning overhead.

Tyler immediately dropped the napkins, and turned to run and find a safer place than a wide open area during a thunderstorm. He was too distracted by the darkened clouds to notice the lack of feet splashing in puddles behind him.

It was only when he was ducked under a tent and attempting to dry off with yet another roll of paper towels, he realized that Josh wasn’t immediately behind him. Peeking out from the curtain, he saw Josh standing right where he left him.

Except, Josh’s head was tilted up and his arms were wide open, one hand still clutching the soggy paper towels, embracing the storm. It was one of those warm, summer storms that made everything feel sticky and gross, but Josh didn’t mind. The rain felt good on his skin, although now his hair would need to be dried off because it was matted to his head.

So, Tyler darted back out and ran to grab his friend out of the storm, nearly slipping on the way over because the rain had formed a slick layer on the concrete. He quickly made it, grabbed Josh by the wrist, and pulled him out of his trance.

  
“Tyler, what’re you doing?” Josh halted, pausing after moving a few feet.

“I did not just nearly slip on my way over to pull you out of this torrential downpour just so you could stand here and get struck by lightning.”

 

Pouting, Josh agreed and they dashed under the tent together, not realizing their friends had captured photos behind them. Finally reaching the canopy, they grabbed towels and sunk into their seats, taking a moment to regain their balance and dry off.

“You know, if you had slipped, I would’ve caught you. I always do.” Josh spoke up.

 

Tyler had his face buried in the towel, wiping away a mixture of sweat and raindrops when he looked up to find Josh standing in front of him with his own towel. Their eyes met as Tyler pulled the towel away from his face.

“Now, come on, we can’t have the lead singer catching a cold. We’ve still got ten minutes of this delay to ourselves.” Josh half-smiled, half-smirked as this time, _he_ was the one dragging _Tyler_ to the bathroom.


	2. If you look closely, there were eons on their lips.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure where this came from, but just more thoughts about this photo.

Before they made it to the bathroom, Tyler glanced out the plastic "window" of the tent. His heart was beating and he swore he could hear it over the thunder. He paused, redirected himself and Josh out the side of the tent, and made sure no one was watching.

  
Josh, confused, stood there puzzled as Tyler glanced around, "So, are we going to dance or-" Suddenly, his face was pressed up against Tyler's and all he felt were those pink lips locked with his own, the ones he'd spend hours watching as they rehearsed. Tyler's hands made their way into Josh's hair, a few drops of water dripping as he tightened his fingers around the locks.

Smiling against each other because they both felt that awkwardness, Josh wrapped his arms around Tyler's waist and pulled him in closer. And they kissed, and they kissed, and they kissed for what felt like eternity. Enough time had passed that the storm cleared up and the speakers were blaring about the end of the delay.

Pulling apart, they smiled at each other and broke out into soft laughter. Although, no one else heard them because it was just the two of them behind that tent clinging to the way time stood still. Walking in their separate directions to their dressing rooms as soundcheck began once again, they each glanced back to look at one another, surely thinking the same thing: how neither one of them planned to forget the way this night unfolded.

The taste of air hung on their wet lips, which they blamed on the weather.  
Of course the earth would delay a show for a few stolen memories.  
Even the clouds knew they deserved a moment of bliss.  
And if it were in the form of another storm, at least they could have it to themselves.  
So those raindrops became theirs, just like the love they shared.

 

* * *

Later that night, they thought of each other as they drifted off to sleep, "He silenced all my storms; even the ones I didn't know were raging."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk to me about this, I'd love to share ideas and never shut up about these two!


	3. Something like glistening.

They played their hearts out at the next show. It was warmer, drier, but something still hung in the air. Perhaps it was something only they noticed; they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other during the entire set.

Time passed in a storm of itself. Upon starting the first song, it boomed over the speakers as the crowd sung along with every breath they had. The entire building shook with voices screaming the lyrics to each beat, each note, each second of the night. The way the music poured out of them like the showers in the sky from the day before, surely they'd bring the roof caving in.

But they made it to Trees without any incident and a hush fell on the crowd as they waited for Tyler's speech. There were a few scattered sobs and tears as they all took in a breath, anticipating what words would be shared.

As the lights changed and grew dimmer, focusing in on Tyler, he cleared his throat. The first few notes drifted from his keyboard, as Josh sat silently at his drum set, his drumsticks at rest in his lap.

"I want to begin by saying, thank you. To each and everyone one of you for coming out here tonight," and a few more notes. "As I'm sure you all heard, there was a storm yesterday. It delayed our set for a while. Usually, we have things under our control, but even we can't do anything about the weather."

This time, he looked down at the piano as he played a bit more. Continuing, "It gave me a lot to think about, actually. I used to find solace in the storms. The way the rain beat on the roof and the wind shook the trees. I know some people are afraid of storms, too."

Closing his eyes, he swallowed his breath as his fingers found a way to the keys yet again. "But, a good friend once told me, 'we all go through the same storms.' And I haven't been able to stop thinking about that since. We all go through the same storms, but it's a matter of what we do in those storms." A quick glance at Josh was all anyone needed to confirm who that friend was.

And with that, haunting piano notes filled the arena and his voice echoed off each seat, column, and within every chest. Once again, the crowd grew louder, roaring back to life as Josh and Tyler climbed their platforms, grabbing hold of fans and nearby support to steady themselves. Clutching their drumsticks to their heart, they looked down to their drums and hit as hard as they could to each note, turning between the crowd and their drums as the water met their skin and mixed with confetti falling from the ceiling.

By the end of the drumming, the arena had become it's own thunder. Except when Josh and Tyler looked at one another, they couldn't break gaze. Thinking of how the water on their skin reminded them of yesterday, of how with thousands of people, it still felt like only the two of them. And how they each swore they could hear the other's heart beating, louder than any storm.

Climbing off the platforms, they returned to the stage and bowed. Their arms wrapped a little tighter around each other tonight, they shared a smile as they were bowing with every hidden intention layered in their lips.

 

 

* * *

"I'd knock and ask if I can come in, but I'm already here," Josh greeted from the doorway to Tyler's dressing room. Tyler turned from his chair facing the mirror where he caught Josh's reflection, and his eyes drifted directly to his chest. "You mentioned a good friend tonight, I wouldn't happen to know this friend, would I?" And he laughed, that belly full laugh where his eyes lit up and his hand landed over his stomach as his head tilted back. 

Tyler's cheeks turned up as a smile grew so wide, the corners could've touched his eyes. Leave it to Josh to turn an inspirational moment into a cheesy one. Of course, he was the good friend. Maybe something more than a friend, but that was for the two of them to whisper into the air around them.

Josh walked further into the room, closing the door behind him and flopping onto the couch. "Seriously though, this friend of yours is pretty smart, and I'm sure that he's funny and handsome, and totally talented-" but he paused right there, as his grin shifted slightly.

"Although, I was wondering, next time there's a storm, could we do something else?" He barely lifted his gaze and found Tyler crouched at eye level.

"Who says we have to wait for a storm?"

 

 

It was a good thing Josh remembered to lock the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really can't get enough of these two.   
> And shout out to my own good friend, C, for inspiring this chapter.


	4. * Cover Art*

 

//special thanks to @heathenclique for making this amazing cover based on the photo - means the world to me //

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write something. They're too good for my heart to handle.


End file.
